chapter 5:- The Beginning of Tensions

Rose sat in the café, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup as she listened to Mikey tell a story about his childhood. The warm, comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, and the clatter of plates and chatter of other patrons provided a lively backdrop. Yet despite the relaxed environment, a persistent buzzing kept interrupting their conversation. Rose's phone vibrated on the table again. It was her friend, Emma.

She had ignored the first few calls, not wanting to interrupt her time with Mikey. She hadn't seen him in a while, and the day had been going so well. The last thing she wanted was to cut their time short. But after the fourth call in less than ten minutes, Mikey glanced at the screen and then back at Rose with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe you should answer that," he suggested, his voice gentle but firm. "Could be something important."

Rose hesitated, chewing her lip as she glanced at her phone. "She's probably just being nosy," Rose muttered, but the tension in her voice was unmistakable. Something about the frequency of Emma's calls made her uneasy.

Mikey leaned forward, his eyes searching hers. "If it's nothing, you'll be back to our conversation in no time. But if it's something, you don't want to regret not picking up."

Sighing, Rose finally picked up the phone, swiping to answer the call. "Hey, Emma," she said, trying to sound casual.

"Rose, you need to get home. Now!" Emma's voice was urgent, almost panicked, and Rose instantly sat up straighter.

"Wait, what? What's going on?" Rose asked, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest.

"I didn't want to bother you, but I couldn't wait any longer. Your brother's friend, Jake, saw you riding on a bike with Mikey. He's planning on telling your brother!" Emma's words came out in a rush, making Rose's head spin.

"What?" Rose gasped, her eyes widening in shock. "No, no, no, that can't happen. If he tells my brother…"

"I know," Emma cut in. "I've been trying to stall him, but he's serious, Rose. He's going to tell him, and I don't know if I can stop him."

Rose felt like the floor had fallen out from beneath her. The comfortable warmth of the café now felt stifling, and her mind raced. Her brother was overprotective, and the last thing she needed was him getting involved in her relationship with Mikey. He wouldn't understand, and things could spiral out of control.

"Let me call you back," Rose managed to say before ending the call, her hands trembling slightly as she lowered her phone.

Mikey, sensing the shift in her demeanor, leaned closer, concern etched across his face. "What's wrong?"

Rose took a deep breath, trying to steady her voice. "Jake saw us. He's going to tell my brother. If he does, everything's going to explode."

Mikey's expression hardened, but he reached across the table and gently took her hand. "We can handle this," he said calmly, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. "Maybe we can convince Jake not to say anything. He's not unreasonable, right?"

"I don't know," Rose admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "He's close to my brother, and he might think he's doing him a favor by telling him."

Mikey was quiet for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought. "Let's not panic yet. Go home and play it cool. If Jake hasn't told your brother yet, we still have time. I'll talk to him if I have to."

Rose nodded, her mind racing as she tried to think of how to navigate this. "Okay. I'll head home now," she said, standing up abruptly. She shot Mikey a grateful look, her heart pounding as she grabbed her things. "I'll call you once I'm home."

"Be careful," Mikey said, his voice soft but steady. "We'll figure this out."

As Rose hurried out of the café, the cool air hit her, but it did little to calm the storm brewing inside her. She hopped on her bike, pedaling furiously as her mind ran wild with possibilities. Would Jake really tell her brother? Would her brother confront her? Her relationship with Mikey was still new, still fragile, and the last thing they needed was her brother's disapproval hanging over them.

When she finally reached home, her hands were shaking as she fumbled with her keys. She slipped inside, her heart still racing as she closed the door behind her and leaned against it for a moment, trying to catch her breath. The house was quiet, and she was thankful for that small mercy. No sign of her brother—yet.

Pulling out her phone, she quickly dialed Mikey's number. It rang twice before he picked up.

"Are you home?" he asked, his voice steady and calm, which brought Rose some comfort.

"Yeah, I just got in," she whispered, even though there was no one else around to overhear her. "No sign of my brother yet."

"Good. That gives us some time." Mikey paused for a moment, and Rose could hear him thinking. "Maybe we can talk to Jake and convince him not to say anything. I know he's loyal to your brother, but maybe if we explain ourselves—"

Before he could finish, Rose's phone buzzed again. This time, it was Emma. "Hold on, Emma's calling," Rose said quickly, switching over to her friend's call. "Emma, any news?"

"Yeah, it's not good," Emma sighed on the other end. "Jake is being stubborn. He says your brother deserves to know."

Rose's stomach dropped. "What are we going to do?" she asked, her voice shaky with fear.

"Look, I managed to talk him down a little, but he's making this… complicated," Emma replied, her tone uncomfortable.

Rose frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He said he won't tell your brother… but only if I agree to something."

"Agree to what?" Rose asked, her heart racing even faster now.

Emma hesitated for a long moment before finally answering, "He wants me to… date him. He said if I go out with him, he'll keep quiet."

"What?!" Rose nearly shouted, her hand gripping the phone tightly. "Emma, you can't do that! He's blackmailing you!"

"I know," Emma replied, her voice small. "But Rose, if I don't, he'll tell your brother, and things will get messy. I can handle it. It's not like I haven't dated guys like him before."

Rose felt a rush of guilt wash over her. This was all happening because of her, and now her friend was being dragged into a situation she didn't deserve. "Emma, I don't want you to do this because of me."

"Rose, I'll be fine," Emma reassured her. "It's just a few dates. I can deal with Jake. What matters is that your brother doesn't find out and make things harder for you and Mikey."

Rose bit her lip, tears pricking at her eyes. She hated that her friend was being put in this position, but she also knew that Emma was right. If her brother found out about her and Mikey, it could ruin everything.

"Thank you," Rose whispered, her voice breaking. "I don't know how to repay you for this."

"You don't need to," Emma said firmly. "Just make sure this doesn't happen again. Be more careful with Mikey, okay?"

"I will," Rose promised, her heart heavy with guilt.

After hanging up, Rose sat in the silence of her room, staring at the wall as the weight of everything pressed down on her. She had avoided one disaster, but it had come at a cost she hadn't anticipated. Emma had made a sacrifice for her, and Rose wasn't sure how to feel about that.

Her phone buzzed again, this time a text from Mikey.

**Mikey**: Everything okay?

Rose stared at the screen, unsure of how to respond. No, everything wasn't okay, but for now, the crisis was averted.

**Rose**: Yeah. For now.